SKATE NEWS

Vietnam day! What a coincidence. I was just writing about Clint's new blog addition on Stereo, comparing my experience in New York to a booze-soaked Vietnam and here the Epicly Later'd Lakai edition episode three is out.

When you watch these explosions in real time, it makes you understand just how much of a skater's job is similar to being a stuntman. Luckily it's not like 'Nam everyday, but if it were, Mike Mo would have to skate over stairs and gaps that were constantly blowing up. That would be impressive. Is this the new direction of skateboarding's future—street skating's way to match the gnarliness of the Mega ramp? Are you impressed? No? Oh, you are? Well, then, you may be impressed by Mike Mo's tre flip world record. Now go watch his part in Fully Flared and imagine everything's blowing up after he lands. The Fully Flared Deluxe edition drops soon.

In Clint's experience, this was probably just Williamsburg Bridge. In my experience, it felt like a long beam with nothing but a bar at either side. This bridge is hot now.
Last time I went to New York, I came back with a case of that pheasant flu you get from Chinese food and a disorder that made me feel like my liver had dissolved, slowly seeped through my internal organs and exited my backside. Perhaps that description is a little drastic but when I left, it felt like I was leaving 'Nam—a debaucherous and booze-soaked 'Nam (which, I suppose, is just like 'Nam was, but without the killing people and losing it in pre-'Nam boot camp…I get worried sometimes that too much of my world view has been shaped by movies).

Anyway, so it was four days of 24 hour drinking. We didn't have a set place to stay, so we were at the whims of wherever we were crashing, and everyone knew someone who worked at a bar.

"We should go skating," we would say. Then, somehow, our friends there would redirect us to the bar. Soon, we were "skating" to the bar, "skating" to my friend's house, "skating" around the bar stools at Max Fish.

It's true what Clint Peterson wrote on his blog: If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. I've since been back to NY with less booze and I love it. But, if that trip's any indication, it appears as though my friends and I are bound to "make it" as alcoholic vagabonds with SARS and a severe case of the gut rot. Check out Clint, Benny Fairfax and Danny Supa's trip to the Big Apple here and their Halloween Havoc over at Stereo.

Tony Hawk Gets Probed On The Red Carpet By A Bizarro Adam Dyet
This Was One Of The Items I Bid On For The Silent Auction.
Just tonight, Stoked Mentoring, the action sports non-profit organization hosted their 2nd Annual Awards Ceremony at the Red Bull space in NYC. If you're not familiar with Stoked Mentoring, it's actually a really amazing program. Basically, Stoked provides "at risk youth" with mentors who teach kids how to either surf, snowboard and/or skate. There was a nervousness felt all around, as the event was to bring out a very special guest, Tony Hawk. That's right, THE Tony Hawk. We're talking a skateboarder who has his own signature gummy multivitamin, folks. The legendary Hawk was being honored at the event for his helping to distribute over 2.3 million dollars to 390 Skate Park Projects all over the damn place. And for his beyond solid contribution, the legendary Hawk would be presented with the Stoked Achievement Award.

The event was what one might expect from any guest list party in Soho. There were free flowing drinks, a mini buffet table that featured an exceptionally delicious couscous, pretty ladies in backless gowns, paparazzi, plenty of teched-out line beards and tons of beats, courtesy of the obligatory DJ.

In addition to the already over stimulated atmosphere, there was a decent-sized section of items to be auctioned off. There were signed decks, diamond encrusted watches, vintage prints of Tony Alva & Christian Hosoi and what I considered to be the illest number of the night; a framed glossy-as-hell photo of Ryan Sheckler's tattooed back. Holla! I'd be lying if I told you I didn't put in my silent bid with the quickness of a gazelle. I actually tried to put in a second and a third bid but was immediately stopped by the moderator.

Things Got Really Weird At The Guitar Hero Station. I Had Dibs On Winner, But Got Snaked By The Dude In The Background.
As I waited for the festivities to commence, I watched as some serious shredding went down at the Guitar Hero station. I tried to step in for an impromptu ripping, but was snaked by a perpetrator. It was fine, because it was around that moment when Stoked co-founder, Steve Larosiliere, took the stage. Steve went on to congratulate a few of the more exceptional Stoked volunteers, and award them for their achievements. It wasn't long before X-Games announcer, E! Host, co-founder of Stoked and a man whose last name I have yet to properly pronounce, Sal Masekela took the stage. Sal did his thing and presented a video that gave a brief overview of Tony Hawk's contribution to skateboarding, as well as his commitment to building parks through the Tony Hawk Foundation.

Tony snagged the mic and the crowd went buck. Tony said many things, including an amazing story about why he decided to start The Tony Hawk Foundation (which through grants and other charitable donations supports programs focusing on the creation of public skateboard parks). It went something like this...A public park had been built somewhere in the U.S. (I can't remember where because I was crushing Red Bull & Vodka's from the get go). The powers that be, invested a ton of money in the project and were so proud and self congratulatory, they invited Tony Hawk to come out and help christen the park for its unveiling. When Tony arrived, he was shocked at just how bad the park sucked. It's an all-too common occurance and a complete waste of a chance to have a neighborhood skatepark. From that point Tony knew what he had to do and rest was history. At the end of his speech, Tony announced that he would be donating $5 G's to Stoked Mentoring. This impromptu declaration sparked an almost reckless chain reaction as audience members began shouting out even more donations towards the stage. Sal M. grabbed the mic and took on the role of a cinematic auctioneer. It was amazing. At the end of it all, the impromptu giving spree raised something around $12 G's for Stoked. That's not bad. Big ups Tony Hawk, Big ups Stoked Mentoring and Big Ups Red Bull and Vodka. In my eyes you are all equally as delicious. And as far as that Sheckler print goes, I'm still waiting to find out if I won. Yo, Stoked people, if you're reading this, I had to cut out early...so hit me up if my number was called! Thanks guys. Toodles.

The Berrics
With age, dwindling skill and all encompassing apathy, I often seek out the skate sessions which snuggly fit into the "low-impact category." And for theses reason alone, I've found myself skating more and more flatground in the recent years. And for chubby old dudes like myself, it's the simple games of S.K.A.T.E. that allow us to relive our glory. For us, it's a way to relearn the tricks we'd long since lost and pull some new ones out our ass when it's our turn to throw down.

One of the coolest things to happen to skateboarding in the last few years is the pro level game of S.K.A.T.E. I've always loved seeing just how good a pro is. And for the most part, they're that g'damned good. I'm not sure when the next eS' Game of S.K.A.T.E. is scheduled to pop off, but at the moment DVS and The Berrics have joined forces to present, "The Battle At The Berrics." While there's an impressive list of matches to come, so far the only battles that have happened were between Joey Brezinski and Chad Tim Tim and Danny Montoya and Erik Ellington. Take a look here to see who will be battling who. Holy sh*t, there's some gnarly ones. Arto Saari vs. Chico Brenes, Mike Mo vs. Furby, PJ Ladd vs. Tyler Bledsoe and the one that I'm about to put some money on, Koston vs. Dyrdek. I'm claiming Dyrdek on that one. Be sure to stop by daily to get your fix of these pro's and others facing off on the buttery smooth Berrics asphalt.

Whatever stance Birdo might take about bigger brands being in skating, I, under no umbrella but my own, will say that Consolidated is one of the most infamous companies of past and present eras. It's spawned greats like Steve Nesser, Clint Peterson, and was the controversial home to Jason Jessee for some time.

With Kyle Berard, Mike Peterson, Alan Peterson, Karma Tsocheff, Steve Bailey and Roberto Aleman still on the pro squad and a whole slew of ams, they have an eclectic team. They're up with a new blog now, where you can watch the Support Your Local Skate Shop Tour vid. Also, out of my own preference, I suggest watching Roberto Aleman (or Robert the German as I like to call him in the anglicized form). He's got his own "only in Spain" pro model and rides for Fallen on the sly. Dude rips.

East Coast Skatepark updates

Singapore’s national “Extreme Sports Facility” designed by Convic is currently under construction. Check out the render here for a look at what’s coming and check back soon to see the progress pics.

East Coast Skatepark.
According to plan the park will be open at the end of Jan 2009.

SKATE NEWS

THEY GOT LEO. THEN, IT WASN'T TOO LONG AGO THAT BAKER CAME OUT AND ADMITTED TO THE WORLD THAT IT HAD A DEATHWISH AND EVER SINCE, IT'S BEEN GROWING AND GROWING, ADDING MORE AND MORE HIGHLY SKILLED DIRTBAGS TO THE CREW—BACA, SLASH AND FURBY AND A SLEW OF OTHER DUDES. BAKER AND DEATHWISH ARE NOT THE KIND OF TEAMS THAT OFFER A CLEANLY PRESENTED ROLE MODEL, UNLESS OF COURSE YOU CONSIDER REYNOLD'S TOUCH OF GOLD SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO (AND I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY SAY THAT IT IS SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO). NOT ONLY DOES "THE BOSS" HAVE A SUGARY FRONTSIDE FLIP, BUT HE HAS YET TO START SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE LOYAL FOLLOWING OF A CULT AND THE INSANE FEELING OF A MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON RIOT (AT LEAST HOW THEY SEEM MOVIES). SHANE HEYL IS ALSO ALONG FOR THE RIDE, HYPING SHAKEJUNT.COM WITH THE KIND OF UPPERCASE CHARACTERS THAT GIVE YOU THE FEELING YOU'RE GETTING YELLED AT THROUGH A MEGAPHONE. IT'S THE PERFECT EMBODIMENT OF BAKER BOYS STYLE.

Consolidated Skateboards

Some Todd Bratrud Graphics From His Old Days At Consolidated
Todd Bratrud is probably my favorite Skateboard Graphic artist ever. When given the opportunity, Bratrud has drawn stuff that without a doubt, evokes some kind of emotional response. It could be disgust. It could be laughter. It could be utter shock. Whatever they do, they get the job done. Mixing tongue-in-cheek humor, sex and a grime few dare to step to, Bratrud's stuff is in a league all its own. He's done graphics for a bunch of brands like, Consolidated, Enjoi, Black Label, Flip, Creature, Volcom, SPOT, Nike SB, Osiris, The Skateboard Mag, Slap, Heroin and many more. On the side he does design work for the art collective, Burlesque Of North America and spearheads his own urethane brand, Teenage Runaway. King Sh*t just posted a nice little interview with Todd where he speaks about the current state of skateboard graphics amongst other things. Click here, read through and absorb the hell outta that sh*t! And while you're there, check out Chris Nieratko's "Dumb Dumb Doodles," and the adventures of Senor Schnitzel. You'll be glad you did.

SKATE NEWS

Ever since the announcement was made that Anthony Pappalardo had bounced from Lakai, the rumor mills have been churning, mixing and overflowing with speculation about Converse's entrance into the skate market. And while the hype was built up like the scaffolding of the g'damned Scream Machine, much of the unconfirmed babble was put to rest when Converse Skateboarding debuted at the most recent ASR tradeshow. While the industry folks had their curiosity quenched, skaters around the globe without San Diego plane fare and an all-access tradeshow badge remained thirsty. After a long-ass wait, Converse Skateboarding has opened its doors to the world via Converseskateboarding.com.

The site showcases the brands official team...Anthony Pappalardo, Sammy Baca, Ethan Fowler, Raymond Molinar and Nick Trapasso. That's a diverse as hell roster. But you already knew that. God bless you, Slap Forum. Alongside team photos and video, there's a look book for their Spring '09 Line, a blog and a skate map, where when can locate some parks and shops all around the U.S. of A. It's been a long wait, but dammit, it was worth it. Now that we've seen it with our own eyes, the future of Converse Skateboarding looks good. —Jay Riggio

Jamie Thomas front feeble to fakie.
This past weekend hundreds of skaters converged on Houston Texas's Southside skatepark to celebrate the life of Johnny Romano and raise money for a worthy cause. The Johnny Romano Skate Jam was held as a benefit for the Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana chapter of the Make A Wish Foundation, a non-profit group that strives to enrich the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses.

After Johnny's passing earlier this year, Southside's annual Make A Wish benefit skate jam was renamed in his honor. All proceeds, ticket sales and even prize money won by the skaters was donated directly back to the Make A Wish Foundation. What better way to celebrate the life, spirit and memory of Johnny Romano than a day spent skating, smiling and giving back. Our friend and Black Box staff photog, Joey Shigeo was on hand to capture some of the magic from this special event.

In an attempt to slow the impending and too rushed arrival of Christmas marketing crap, let's take a step back a little over a week and remember the fun we had on Halloween. Here's the Toy Machine team ripping at Active San Dimas (where Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure was set). People skating in costumes is quite hilarious.

Skateboarding can be a fickle business. Some guys who should be financially sound and well known are not and other guys who got in on a likeability factor are living off some nice shoe checks. It's just how it is. But, some guys are out there making it happen on their own, "it" being something that I cannot exactly define or understand. One example of this is "The Ger" himself, Jereme Rogers.

The skater, turned rapper (still think they should bring back that one song that goes "tell me suminsuminsumin I ner heard of, tell me suminsuminsumin I aint ner heard of"), turned Famous Stars and Straps rider has mastered the art of self promotion.

If you go back and watch the credits to Osiris' The Storm there's a clip in there where one of the dudes gets a D3 dipped in gold…in gold (I can't remember who it was, but I always wonder if he still has that golden shoe somewhere). J.R., seems to be taking tips from that era of "get it while you can" with a little hustle. Perhaps not in the way intended, but I, for one, am entertained.

Given Skateboards

Markovich Skids A Backside Tailslide, Jersey Barrier Style For Given.
A while back Kris Markovich parted ways with Crimson Skateboards, the company he founded, rode for and branded, via his own signature artwork. It was reported that Kris was taking with him most of the Crimson team to start a new outfit...this one called Given Skateboards. It's been a little while now that the Given website has been under construction, but as of recently, the company's brand new site has launched. Included so far at GIVENSKATEBOARDS.COM are rider profiles, video and photos, as well as an extensive product page, featuring the latest pro boards from Kris, Richie Belton, James Atkin and the legendary style-king of SF, Nate Jones. But wait, what about Ragdoll? From the looks of things, Rags is missing from the Given roster, aka, no longer skating for Given. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up. Any guesses? Could there be a Black Label reunion in the works in a move similar to the Jason Adams team revisitation? We'll just have to see, now wont we.

NEW PRODUCTS

Peep this surprise drop from Emerica. Designed by Andrew Reynolds and dubbed the Nailer, this shoe comes in black patent leather with an array of stitch detailing along with a clean white sole–one of the finest sneakers we’ve seen this season. The Emerica logo is neatly stitched on both the inside/outside of each shoe and printed in green on the lining. These kicks are also available in white suede with gold detailing. See detailed images of each shoe below and order direct through Active. $65 ain’t bad for some black patent leathers.

While most brands/artists/shops are milking the whole PEACE/LOVE thing, NYC artist Ruslan Karablin aka SSUR actually lives with his eyes open and sees that Armageddon is inevitable. So he teamed up with DC Shoes to hook up these war torn kicks, which feature unique camouflage prints from around the globe to represent war between the first, second and third worlds. If the world is still around, look for these to hit shops December 1st, until then…repent. $140

With an unofficial tag name “Soda Cup”, here we have an upcoming Nike SB Dunk Hi. Like the tag name, the outside of the shoe has colors resemblant of a Coca-Cola cup–red/white–and the inside color is brown, perhaps resembling soda. Expect a release for Spring ‘09.

A little over a month ago, HUF dropped the first installment of their Fall ‘08 Collection. Among many other hats, HUF is known for their go-to classic Tonal H New Eras. Now for all of you east coast/mid-west’ers, you can purchase these fine fitteds directly through HUF’s Online Store. Choose from cardinal red, black, white, gray and camouflage. $50

We just saw the Armageddon-ready DC x SSUR Sneaker this morning, now we have a new colorway of the same shoe. Unlike the first, this DC x SSUR shoe features a range of natural solid colors–brown, green, beige–and a bit of orange to accent the ultra air cushioned heel and lining. We also have detailed images of the shoe which reveal the iconic “SSUR” tag embroidered on the back. View the photos below and stay tuned for more info.

RVCA and the Aloha Army have teamed up to bring you a limited edition t-shirt featuring the artwork of George Thompson. Thompson, aka EWOK, is a talented multimedia artist from California and a member of RVCA’s Artist Network Program (ANP). Thompson incorporated the Hawaiian Islands, No. 50 and ‘Aloha’ in the design of the RVCA X Aloha Army T-Shirt. Only 150 of these shirts are being made and will only be available at Aloha Army.

With a pro team made up of 21st century skate legends Josh Kalis, Arto Saari, Anthony Van Engelen, Heath Kirchart, Steve Berra, Rob Dyrdek, Mike Taylor, Omar Salazar, Dylan Reider, and Jason Dill along with ams Tyler Bledsoe, Grant Taylor, and newbie Jake Johnson, it’s no wonder we’re flabbergasted over the upcoming Alien Workshop video Mind Field, one of the most anticipated skate videos since the dawn of the new millennium. Although we were just learning to tie our shoes for Alien’s first two vids Memory Screen (1991)and Time Code (1997) (yes, it took us a while to get the knot right), we grew up watching Alien’s third video Photosynthesis (2000), which is regarded as one of the greatest skate videos of all time (opinions may vary).

Now, apart from an official DVD image pictured above, we have an official release date. Mind Field will be available through the Skate Park of Tampa’s Online Store February 2nd, 2009. We’re not sure if SPOT gets first dibs or exactly what the deal is, but it’s the first official news we’ve heard about the release thus far. If you haven’t seen the trailers yet, click “Read more” to get a taste of the skate madness to come….

If Diamond Supply Co. looks this good lying on a grimy bathroom floor, just imagine how it’d look around ya waist. Pictured above are the new Fall ‘08 Belts that just hit Reed Space. Peep the other goods below and swing by the Space to pick up.

Last week, we were the first to give you word on Nike SB November Sneakers, now we have the apparel. Letting freedom ring, most of the goods, including fitteds, tees, and hoods, are decked out in the good ol’ Red, White, and Blue. Also in the mix is a beefed up duffel bag. View the lineup below and stay tuned as we’ll keep you posted when this gear hits retailers.

We present to you this re-released Nike SB Dunk Low in a brown/tan color-up. Lately, Nike’s been toning down their shoes in a good way, as seen by the Nike SB November ‘08 Releases we showed you last week, and these sweet suede kicks will suffice the pickiest Dunk fiends.

Skate posterchild of bowls and brews, Tony Trujillo’s Vans pro model, the TNT Mid II, arrives in three new colorways for the cooler months. Choose from blue/orange, black/purple, and Green Bay Packers green/yellow. Expect these to hit Vans accounts in a couple weeks. $65

While we’re waiting for word when the Airwalk “Jim” Shoes will drop, we came across these Airwalk Canvas Hi’s that feature Airwalk’s custom Skull Ollie Vuitton print–a high-end rippin’ chocolate/gold pattern that features skulls & crossbones mixed with Airwalk’s logo. Is Airwalk the next comeback brand to make it big in our industry? Visit Airwalk to view the other kicks that this reemerging skate label designed and hit up a select retailer to purchase.

Marisa Dal Santo

Marisa Dal Santo has got it going on. Over the last few years, she's been casually laying down a pattern of destruction not unlike a tropical storm that gathers energy before anyone notices it's becoming a hurricane.
Marisa's skills caught the eyes of the right folks (like Jamie Thomas), and she started getting product from some of the most respected names in skating. She's gotten photos in the magazines and a solid independent video part has popped up on YouTube, grabbing her more attention. She even nabbed some contest wins (First place in Women's Street in X Games 13, where she took home $20,000 on her 20th birthday). So when is the world going to start taking her seriously? Weather permitting, she should be landing any minute now.
We had Mike Sinclair sit down with Marisa to get the latest from this natural disaster.